A new study finds Aurora University makes a $325 million-plus contribution to the Chicago area economy.  Photo by News Bulletin staff.

As Aurora University celebrates the 100-year anniversary of its move to Aurora this spring, a new study finds that AU contributes more than $325 million to the Chicago area economy annually, up more than 6 percent from three years ago.

The 2011 economic impact study, conducted by EconImpact of Scottsburg, Ind., also estimates that AU contributes almost $110 million to the Kane County economy, an increase of more than 17 percent, and $50 million to the Aurora economy alone.
The report, which utilized American Council on Education methodology, factors in direct and secondary spending, alumni earnings and social benefits.
Additionally, the university employed 349 people on the Aurora campus and created another 1,058 new jobs in the region through its spending.
The study underscores the university's contributions to the local economy and investment in the community as AU looks toward its second century in the Fox Valley. The university moved from Mendota to Aurora on April 4, 1912.
"As Aurora University continues to grow, we will contribute to the well-being of our neighbors in the Fox Valley in many ways," said Rebecca L. Sherrick, President of Aurora University. "We take special pride in educating many of the region's finest students and in sharing the resources of our campus community with others. Our goal is to have a lasting and positive impact on the lives of everyone we touch."
Aurora University employees, students and visitors directly added $18.2 million in spending to the local economy last year. Secondary business spending, which measures the multiplier effect as those dollars ripple through the economy, brought the total AU spending impact to more than $47 million.

Aurora University's newest residence hall, as yet unnamed.  Photo by News Bulletin staff.

When it comes to alumni earnings, the report weighs the value of an Aurora University education. 

An AU graduate in the Chicago area with a bachelor's degree earns $21,657 more than someone with a high school diploma, while alumni with master's degrees earn $26,544 more than someone with an undergraduate degree.
The university has more than 16,000 working alumni in the Chicago area. Collectively, their increased earnings add $174 million to the regional economy.
AU also contributes $104 million in social benefits such as reduced crime, incarceration, unemployment and welfare expenditures, according to the study.
The report updates a 2008 study that estimated the AU economic impact at $306 million. The increase can be attributed to record enrollment, growing cultural programs and ongoing construction on the Aurora campus. Capital investment will continue in the years ahead, as AU embarks on a centennial campaign to start building on the south end of campus.
The AU impact on the community isn't limited to the economy. A separate report by the AU Wackerlin Center for Faith and Action that details campus volunteerism estimates Aurora University students spent more than 1,000 hours serving in the community and raised more than $10,000 for local agencies during the fall semester.
In 2011, more than 100 organizations were helped by AU volunteer projects such as campus-wide service days, class projects, mission trips, and food and clothing drives.
"The AU community enriches the social capital of the area in amazing ways," said Jonathan Dean, Assistant Professor of Religion and Wackerlin Fellow. "We take seriously the notion that learning doesn't end in the classroom, and that education is transformative in the lives of whole communities, not just the individual. We benefit and grow from this as much as those we serve."

Read the full economic impact study at aurora.edu/economicimpact.